This invention relates general to scalpels, and in particular to means for interconnecting two scalpels to form a double scalpel for accurate sectioning of soft or unfixed tissue for histology processing.
When soft tissues are prosected, the first cut is generally wavy and the second generally cut distorts the tissues resulting in tissue sections that are too thick, too thin, or uneven or non-uniform in thickness. For this reason, many pathologists fix large or soft specimens over night in order to have firmer specimens to prosect and produce thinner, more uniform sections 2 to 4 mm in thickness. This permits better infiltration and dehydration. Although fixation is delayed in intact large specimens compared to adequately thin sections cut fresh and placed in fixative, because fixation is time and thickness dependent.
The present invention allows cutting of uniform thickness sections in soft tissues such as the bowel, brain, spleen, and lung, in the fresh state thereby reducing turn around time and providing better fixation for better histology. The present invention accomplishes this by providing a number of blade handles, one master handle and one or more slave handles. The master handle and one of the slave handles are interconnected in parallel to provide uniform, parallel blade separation of two blades. In another embodiment of the invention the separation between blades is adjustable.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.